SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(1,4-PHENYLENEVINYLENE) DERIVATIVES

We report the synthesis of functionalized poly(p-phenylenevinylenes), in which α and β positions are substituted with oxygen-containing groups. These functionalized poly(p-phenylenevinylenes) were synthesized by the reaction of polybenzoin, synthesized by the benzoin-type reaction of terephthalaldehyde, with Schlosser's base, KOt-Bu/n-BuLi, to generate a polydianion, which on further reaction with acetyl chloride and dimethyl sulfate yields the corresponding poly(l,4-phenylenevinylene α,β-diol diacetate) and poly(l,4-phenylene-α,β-dimethoxyvinylene), respectively. These materials were characterized by IR, NMR, and elemental analysis. The conductivity was measured in the pristine state (~10-10 S/cm) as well as after doping with iodine (~10-6 S/cm). © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.